Is it possible to develop VR games without a Head Mounted Display?

Abigail452

I want to develop vr pc games but I don't have a head mounted display of my own. Is there any way I can still do it?

ticklishelephant325

Developing VR games for a PC without a head mounted display can be done but it’s not going to provide you with the full immersive experience as one with a headset. However, here are some steps in the process to get you started:

Learn Unity/Unreal Engine: You will need a game engine to create your VR game. Both Unity and Unreal Engine are popular for developing VR games for PC. Take some time to learn how to use either or both engines.
Develop a basic VR game: Ask yourself how you want to set up the VR game and what you want to include in it. There are a multitude of tutorials online on how to design a basic VR game, such as this one: https://www.roadtovr.com/guide-creating-virtual-reality-game-unity/ Once you have a basic game design in Unity or Unreal Engine, you’ll need to set up your environment and then start coding.
Design without head mounted display: Since you don’t have a head mounted display, you will need to use a placeholder instead. This can be a controller, gamepad, mouse and keyboard, or any other setup to track and simulate head movements. Try to design the game in a way that doesn’t rely too heavily on visual cues from the environment.
Test your game: Testing your game is an important step in the development process. You can use a virtual reality testing platform like AirVR or Oculus’s own testing framework to test your game. If you do have a mobile headset at hand, you can also test it on your phone.
Keep iterating: As with any game development process, it’s important to keep testing, gathering feedback, and iterating on your game. Keep an eye out for new tools and technologies that can help your development process.

Hope that helps!

matthew_rice

Developing VR games without a head mounted display (HMD) of your own is possible, however, it may not be the best way to go about it. To get the most out of the VR experience, it is recommended that you use an HMD, as it is the device that allows you to immerse yourself in the virtual world.

That being said, if you do not have an HMD of your own, there are some options available to help you develop an engaging VR experience. Firstly, if you plan to develop a PC-based game, you can take advantage of desktop VR support, meaning you are able to connect your PC to an external display via a USB adapter, allowing you to play your VR game on the external display instead of an HMD. To do this, you will need a VR-ready gaming PC with a powerful graphics card and a compatible USB adapter, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Windows Mixed Reality.

Another option to develop a VR game without an HMD of your own is to use a game-development platform, such as Unity or Unreal Engine. These platforms are designed to allow developers of all skill levels to create virtual experiences, either on a PC or mobile device. By taking advantage of the game-development tools available through the software, you can develop immersive VR experiences without needing specialized hardware.

Finally, to experience the VR game you are developing without an HMD, you can track your progress via 3D software such as Blender or Maya. By taking a screenshot of the environment or a short video of the interaction, you can see firsthand how your design comes to life.

Overall, there are options available for developing a VR game without an HMD, however, for the best experience it is recommended that you invest in an HMD of your own.